Information or knowledge ?

It is interestingly (and surprisingly) to see how many conversations are going on about the dimere tacit and explicit knowledge. Can tacit knowledge be managed and is explicit knowledge not merely information. (See Gurteen – ActKM – Kaye Vivian)

My (simple) mind distinguishes tacit stuff and explicit things. Some things we can see and touch.If you want to call these information, that is OK with me. These things we can manage, call it information management, that is still OK with me. But include the principles of knowledge management on how people interact with these explicit things if you want them to be used effectively.

The tacit stuff in the head of individuals cannot be managed, but I believe we can manage processes and systems to help these individuals manage this knowledge personally and collectively.

One response to “Information or knowledge ?”

Explicit Knowledge or Information? Ultimately, it’s a matter of definition. IMHO, a good definition must be clear and practical. I like the definition that states that information is the answer tot What, Where, When, Who? Knowledge is more the answer to How and Why. Explicit Knowledge can be in documents, but is more powerfull when it is integrated in tools and artifacts. A beautifull example is the GPS. A map is pure information. But you need knowledge to know how to find the shortest, quickest or cheapest way. If you understand dutch, see also my blog on expert systems